The Qualcomm Dev phone sets the bar for next-gen Android phones

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It seems like every couple of days a new Android phone or tablet gets announced. Some have larger screens, some flavor of 4G (or “Faux G” if you’re a Dan Hesse fan), maybe a dual-core processor or a powerful single core one, and a handful of other features. Every manufacturer in the Android arms race is trying to get up on the next guy, a move considered by some as increasing the fragmentation between Android handsets. The upside is that Android users are often able to use cutting edge mobile hardware, and benefit from the development that follows.

As hardware continues to evolve, device manufacturers will need to get devices in the hands of app developers so their apps can be optimized for the new hardware. Qualcomm, the manufacturer of the popular Snapdragon chipsets, has created a developer device specifically to allow for early development before a handset is released to the public.

It was not too long ago that Qualcomm announced the dual-core Snapdragon chipset into their lineup. Paired with that announcement, Qualcomm has teamed up with SRS Labs to enable 3D Surround Sound on all of their future chips. These, and many more hardware changes has lead to the creation of a “Developer” handset for operating system and video game manufacturers to test their products. Originally shown of at this years Game Developer Conference and again at CTIA: Mobile Focus 2011, Qualcomm’s developer handset was used to demonstrate both video games and 3D Surround Sound.

You can briefly see the phone in action here:

From what we’ve been told, this device is running a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor with the Adreno 220 GPU, 1GB of Ram, with a stereo speaker system and a quad microphone setup. From the video, you can see a pair of the microphones in the front of the device. Additionally, you can see the 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera to match the 13 megapixel rear-facing camera.

It runs Android 2.3, though it’s not a Google approved device it’s lacks the Android Market, making it specifically a development-only device, just in case you had planned on grabbing one as your personal phone. Also, as it’s a test device, the battery inside the phone is not a typical snap-in battery cell, but rather a battery pack more akin to what you would see in an older cordless home telephone. This battery does not hold a charge particularly well, especially when it’s off.

The phone, while not particularly attractive or useful for more than development purposes, shows a bar for the next generation of Smartphones to meet, particularly to keep up with 3D game development and audio capabilities in the mobile space. In my own hands on with the device, the 3D sound worked amazingly when headphones were applied, and still offered an improved depth of sound when using the stereo speakers. Gaming on this handset was incredibly smooth and without visual artifacting. All in all, Qualcomm is headed in the right direction and will promote the development of apps on their hardware.

Qualcomm has not made any official announcement as to when app developers will be able to request or purchase these handsets, and they are currently only available to partners.